Irna Phillips

Irna Phillips (July 1, 1901 - December 22, 1973) wrote and created many of the first American soap operas. She is considered by many to be the mother of the genre.

Woman in White

Woman in White was one of the first serials to focuss on the internal workings of a hospital. It has been suggested by many individuals ranging from soap opera historians to Agnes Nixon and Harding Lemay that Phillips was hypocondriac. In the 1970's, shortly Phillips death Nixon and Lemay both recalled an incident where Phillips had finally decided to take a trip to Euope - she had booked passage on a hospital ship docked in the harbour.

Related Topics:
Agnes Nixon - Harding Lemay - Hypocondriac

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It was on Woman in White that Phillips first became involved with a young Agnes Nixon, then known by her maiden name Agnes Eckhardt. Nixon remember entering an interview with Phillips carrying a script she had written which Phillips proceded to act out in front of her. When she was finished she offered Agnes a job.

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